


Hell is Empty

by loonaserena



Series: Project Dream Universe [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, BFF WooSan, Elf!Yunho, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Making Out, No Smut, Non-Graphic Violence, Pining, Urban Fantasy, demon!San, demon!hongjoong, fae!Seonghwa, gumiho!Mingi, mage!Wooyoung, minnor appearances of the other members, other idols appear too, siren!Yeosang, witch!Jongho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonaserena/pseuds/loonaserena
Summary: "If someone asked Hongjoong when he found out he was in love with San, he wouldn’t know what to say, but if there was one thing he was sure about, despite all the pining and the heartbreak he had been experiencing for centuries, was that there wasn’t anyone like San for him and a life without him would be meaningless to Hongjoong."Or, Hongjoong and San are demons who left the Demon Realm and have been living among humans for centuries, more or less the same amount of time Hongjoong has been in love with his unfairly beautiful and tempting friend.
Relationships: Choi San/Kim Hongjoong
Series: Project Dream Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940194
Comments: 23
Kudos: 141





	Hell is Empty

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first ATEEZ fic and my first fic after a whole year, so I'm a little nervous about posting this after so long.  
> This fic is the spin-off of a bts fic in the making, a bigger story I have been planning for a really long time and that I will hopefully start posting in the near future.  
> Thanks to my friends who endured my screaming and insecurities all the months I spent working in this story and who were the best betas and supporters someone could ask for!  
> If things go well, this may have a second part featuring some of the other ATEEZ members, but I can't promise anything because I work and life is pretty hectic right now.  
> The title comes from the well known Shakespeare quote.  
> Enjoy your reading and please leave some kudos and comments if you liked it!

Fluttering his eyes open, Hongjoong lazily welcomed the new day.

He let out a sleepy sigh and allowed the light and the noises coming from outside embrace him and little by little wake him up. Seoul was always noisy, specially the street where he lived, but unlike other people who appreciated peace and silence in the mornings, Hongjoong was thankful of how alive the city was outside his room, so different from where he came from.

After all, Hongjoong had left the Demon Realm, centuries ago when the world and civilizations were so vastly different from what they were today, because he wanted to live a different life instead of just corrupting humans and waiting for the end of the world. Yes, he was mischievous and a little morally ambiguous and creating chaos was one of his favourite hobbies; he was a demon after all, but the good versus evil fight wasn’t something he was looking forward to be involved in. The Human Realm was fun, lively and full of things to do and that was where he actually wanted to be. There, Hongjoong could be whoever he wanted to be and do whatever he wanted to do, instead of having to obey whatever his higher ups ordered with no real freedom or a way of truly expressing himself. 

When Hongjoong cleared his thoughts and decided it was time to get up and start his morning routine, the weight of a body resting against his and an arm over his waist that wasn’t there the night before made him freeze and his breath caught in his throat. He turned his head, slowly and carefully, to check the person spooning him and he only needed one quick glance to confirm his suspicions.

San had slept on his bed again.

Hongjoong bit back the groan that threatened to fall out of his mouth and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on the pillow. He had no idea what was going on inside San’s head lately, but for the past weeks more often than not his friend had ended the night sleeping with him, and that was doing things for poor Hongjoong’s nerves.

When he decided to leave and seek new experiences in the Human Realm, San, a young demon too cheerful and bright eyed to belong there with all those old stuck-up demon Lords, had asked if he could go with him. Hongjoong accepted easily; the other seemed nice enough and he was just happy to be able to leave with someone else instead of alone. After all, demons were also social creatures, despite their fame of being individualists and egoists (and despite how individualistic and egoist the High Lords actually were), and he was glad he had someone accompanying him in that new chapter of his life.

Still, naïve and reckless Hongjoong had no idea back then where he was getting himself into or how important San was going to become for him.

San was bubbly and outgoing and attracted people like a magnet, thanks to his beauty and personality but also thanks to the demonic allure that made humans fall for him the moment they settled their eyes on him; they were created for sin, after all, and San was a pro at it. He loved the attention and the chaos that he could provoke with just one smoldering stare, and love and sex were nothing but a game for him. Hongjoong didn’t think San had ever fallen in love with anyone and that was one of the reasons why he had hidden his feelings for him during all those years. 

Also, because their kind wasn’t supposed to feel those things, and if they did, like Hongjoong started to suspect when it happened to him, it probably was swept under the rug so the younger demons couldn’t find out and they remained the perfect “soldiers” ready for an imminent war they were expected to be.

But San’s attitude during the past months was making things difficult for him. Lately he had started acting clingier with Hongjoong, seeking him out more frequently and showering him with a fierce protectiveness that he rarely showed to him (since most times it was the other way around, because Hongjoong felt responsible of him, being a little older and also the one who basically brought them to the Human Realm). Hongjoong had also lost count of how many times he had woken up to find the other’s peaceful sleeping face right beside his. It was a good thing demons couldn’t die of heart attacks, because that sight was truly too much for him to handle.

Hongjoong had no idea why San was suddenly acting like a mix of an overexcited puppy and a mother hen when it came to him, but he was trying to endure the situation as gracefully as he could, while also trying to protect his heart and pretend his friend wasn’t breaking it little by little every day.

With a last breath and letting those thoughts abandon his mind (for now), Hongjoong gently grabbed San’s arm to lift it from his waist, smiling softly to himself when the other stayed asleep and burrowed further into his sheets, and he finally got up to get ready for the day.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Hongjoong-ssi, what did I tell you about the hair!?"

Hongjoong lifted his head from the reports he was pretending to read to look in the direction the exasperated voice came from and smiled innocently at Manager Lee.

"Why, manager-nim, you don't like red hair?" Hongjoong answered with a pout and had to fight the urge to smirk in triumph when the poor man's expression twisted and he looked ready to burst into tears.

“Hongjoong-ssi, I’m begging you, BEGGING YOU, JUST FOR ONCE!” Manager Lee interrupted himself when he noticed he had raised his voice, looking around nervously and then closing his eyes and taking a long breath before he continued his sentence in a lower tone. "Just for once, it would be splendid if you followed the rules, including the dress code. That means the piercings too; I want all of it gone as soon as possible!”

With those words, the now sweaty and red-faced middle-aged man turned on his heels and left without another glance in Hongjoong’s direction. Hongjoong had been blinking at him with the most harmless expression he could portray, but when Manager Lee was out of his sight, a mischievous smile appeared on his face and he let out a loud cackle, startling the woman working on the cubicle beside his and making her smash her keyboard in shock and ruin whatever she was working on.

On the space between the back of the computer screen and the wall, a notebook was hidden, and Hongjoong grabbed it while still chuckling, opening it and writing a small mark on the last written page where a bunch of similar ones were already dotting the paper.

Those marks signaled every time he had made Manager Lee lose his cool since the man had started working there three months ago. It was a tradition Hongjoong kept with every manager that had worked in the company since he started two years ago and he was proud to say that since then, fifteen people have quitted after not being able to handle the job and Hongjoong’s shenanigans (the obvious ones but also the unknown ones he had been doing secretly to mess up with the company from the inside, because he was only working there for fun since technically neither him or San actually needed to earn money). 

With how things were going, Hongjoong calculated that Manager Lee would be out of the building, carrying all of his things in the middle of a mental breakdown and screaming about retiring early, in less than a week.

And the best thing? The best thing was that Hongjoong had been doing that for literal decades, bringing companies to bankrupt and messing things up everywhere he went, and not even a single time had anyone suspected a thing. True, some bar and street fights had brought him to the police station more often than what should be considered healthy, but people conveniently forgot about him the next day and let him go without consequences. 

Technically, since he left the Demon Realm he didn't need to obey any higher up, but a demon would always be a demon and their nature was strong, even for expats like him who were living a mostly normal "human" life.

To be honest, Hongjoong’s appearance made his job easier most times. No one expected demons to look like that, small and pretty and with delicate hands, so they rarely doubted Hongjoong when things started going wrong around him. At first, when he was getting used to his human vessel, ages and ages ago, it pissed him off because he wanted to be big and intimidating and scary. 

Now? Now he had learned about the power his face had, and he used it to his advantage.

Hongjoong hid the notebook again with a satisfied hum and decided it was time to finish putting some wrong data in the report that was due the next week and was stressing the hell out of his coworkers, but couldn’t help but let out a squeak when a hand suddenly covered his eyes.

The giggles coming from behind him were unmistakable. Hongjoong huffed and slapped the hand off before turning around to glare at San.

“You dumbass! You scared the fuck out of me!”

“What kind of demon are you that you get scared so easily?” San asked, laughing so hard he was practically doubled over.

“Shut up!” Hongjoong hissed while glancing briefly towards his coworker’s cubicle, but thankfully she wasn't there to hear them. “Stop screaming that I am a demon, I think Hyoyeon is suspecting things after I made her favourite mug explode in the microwave”

“Oh come on, it’s not like you can’t make her forget everything with just a little blink in her direction”

San hopped on the desk, his eyes still shining with mirth, and put the bag he was holding on his lap.

“Anyways” Hongjoong said, sitting down again and trying to find space to work on his desk now that he had a whole roommate occupying it. “Who let you in?”

He wasn’t annoyed by San’s presence, far from it; but he couldn’t concentrate properly on doing his things when the other was so close to him. He was better at pretending before, but lately it was harder than ever with the way San was acting with him, making his barriers become weaker and weaker.

“Hyunwoo. You know he likes me. To be honest, I think he still thinks I work here”

San had worked in the company for a few months after he left his job at a fashion magazine (where everyone was mean and cold and needed to get a few more calories into their bodies. San loved that job). Those were the best days Hongjoong had experienced working there, because he could spend time with his friend and also because San made everything funnier and livelier, always thinking about new ways to terrorize their coworkers and mess up the job. 

San was the one who came up with the idea of the legendary unofficial midday nap breaks, but the plan backfired when a few weeks later everyone was happier and more rested, the productivity increased and they got the first positive results in years (basically, since Hongjoong started working there). After that, San got bored and quitted the job, and then started working as a waiter in a fancy restaurant in Gangnam where he could get rich people’s phone numbers and subtly provoke public lover’s quarrels and Hongjoong was left alone again. 

It wasn’t a lie to say that he missed having San there with him despite how big of a distraction he was, planning pranks together and making fun of their coworkers, but thankfully San still visited a lot of times without caring that he technically wasn’t allowed to.

“That guy is truly trying to get fired” 

“Bah, who cares. Also, everyone will forget I came here as soon as I leave. Come on, I even brought snacks for everyone!" he exclaimed, taking a box out of the bag on his lap and opening it to show a bunch of different pastries and sweets. 

"You know Sungah is on a diet and Myungsoo is diabetic, right?" 

"I know" San said excitedly. "And they each took three!" 

Hongjoong laughed along, because San’s enthusiasm about his mischief was contagious, but the laugh caught in his throat when San suddenly opened his legs to let Hongjoong and his chair between them and pulled him closer with his ankles.

“Come on, take a bite. I bought them from Hope World; you know they make the best strawberry pastries”

There was nothing Hongjoong could say to refuse and save himself from exposing how flustered he was due to their current position and what his friend had offered, because San didn’t even wait for him to answer and pushed the strawberry tart against his lips as soon as he opened his mouth. 

The pastry was delicious, a nice contrast between the sweetness of the strawberry jam and the spicy black pepper, but Hongjoong couldn’t focus on the taste because he immediately became transfixed on the way San was staring at him, his eyes sharp and dark and his lips parted slightly and letting out little puffs of breath.

“Wha” he tried to ask around the mouthful of food before San interrupted him.

“You have a little bit of jam here” San said slowly without taking his eyes off him, carefully lifting his hand closer to Hongjoong’s lips. “Let me“

A warm finger touched the corner of his lip. It was a contact that lasted only a second, but Hongjoong felt like the touch had burned him and a breath caught in his throat when San brought the finger to his own mouth to lick it clean and then let out a please hum. 

"Delicious, I told you" 

“HONGJOONG-SSI! I SAID I WANTED THOSE REPORTS ON MY DESK BY FIVE!”

Hongjoong nearly fell off his chair from how high he jumped when he heard Manager Lee’s scream and, just like that, the moment was broken. San rolled his eyes and, with a sympathetic smile towards Hongjoong and acting like nothing had happened, he separated from him and got down from the desk to start picking up his things. 

It was like a switch had been flicked and Hongjoong’s brain couldn't catch up with the change of atmosphere.

“I’m leaving you with Manager Loser, I think I’m going to Wooyoung’s and see what he is up to, ok?”

“Yeah” Hongjoong answered, paralized still from the situation Manager Lee had interrupted and from how easily San had changed his behavior and was acting all nonchalant. 

He decided to get up to accompany San outside and spend a little more time with him, work be dammed, because he didn't want the other to leave yet, but San put a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Don’t worry Hongjoongie, I know my way out”

San winked at him and grabbed the bag with his belongings, stopping briefly before leaving the cubicle to run his hand softly through Hongjoong’s hair and face.

“I’ll see you at home, ok? Don't work too hard"

With those words, he started walking away, leaving Hongjoong standing there with an awestruck expression on his face and a hand resting against his heart that was fluttering like a bird.

-.-.-.-.-.-

“Seonghwa is here! Hongjoong, how do I look?”

“You look fine”

“You are not even looking at me!” San screeched and Hongjoong closed his eyes and sighed before looking up from the video he was playing on his phone and staring San up and down.

“You look great, amazing, super hot” he declared in a monotone voice to his roommate’s absolute delight, and the moment San turned the other way he also dared a glance towards the stairs at the entrance of Wonderland that lead down to the proper pub to appraise the aforementioned Seonghwa, trying to fight a dreamy sigh.

Wonderland was the underground bar, right in the heart of Seongsu-dong and hidden between all the renovated factories and warehouses, where magical creatures living among humans, most of them expats and refugees, could comfortably meet others like them. 

San had found it during one of his adventures with Wooyoung, had immediately dragged Hongjoong there one night and the rest was history. Going to Wonderland after work had become a tradition for Hongjoong and San and it was there where they had met the majority of their most recent friends and acquaintances, like Wooyoung, a witch and San’s self-proclaimed soulmate, Yunho the dragon hybrid or Yeosang, the siren who worked behind the bar and whom Hongjoong had never heard talk.

Seonghwa, who had left the Fae Forest more or less at the same time Hongjoong and San arrived at the Human Realm after feeling isolated and misunderstood by his own people for too long, wasn’t exactly a close friend of theirs, but San had slept with him before and Hongjoong would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested in being sandwiched in the middle of both of them. The fae was beautiful and gentle and everyone in Wonderland was a little bit in love with him; Hongjoong truly had no idea how he could be considered below average and disliked by his peers. 

It seemed San wanted to repeat the experience, because he got up with a faint “ _be right back_ ” towards Hongjoong and his eyes fixated on Seonghwa standing with his friends on the other side of the pub. Hongjoong wasn’t alone for too long to wallow in misery or self-pity or any kind of ugly feeling that he usually preferred to bottle up and ignore, because Yunho appeared by his side like he was summoned, his characteristic cheeky smile on his face and a friendly slap against Hongjoong’s back that sent him crashing against the bar counter from the force of Yunho’s huge hands.

“Hongjoong, my man! How are you in this fine evening?” he said in greeting but immediately blushing to the roots of his hair when Jinsoul, the other siren who worked tending the bar, appeared in front of him battling her long eyelashes at him and asking him if he wanted something to drink.

Hongjoong hid the knowing smile behind his sleeve and then, when Yunho had finished flirting (rather badly, to be honest, although Jinsoul didn’t seem to mind at all) and finally paid attention to him again, he asked him about his job as a backup dancer at an idol company and the easy conversation that followed made all the thoughts about San flirting with other people flew out of his mind.

“Oh look, Seokjin has left his penthouse and decided to bless us the ordinary people with his presence”

Hongjoong turned around to stare in the direction Yunho was looking and that was when he saw Seokjin, one of the demon Lords, unusually kind and down-to-Earth and really popular among the magicals in Seoul, always dressed exquisitely and always accompanied by a witch called Min Yoongi, who strangely wasn’t there that night.

Seokjin walked around the place greeting people here and there with a smile on his face (that honestly looked a little tense that night) until he reached the stairs that lead to the offices and staff rooms to meet Jackson Wang, who was waiting for him at the top with his black slacks pristine as always and his eyes glowing red. Jackson was one of the alpha leaders of the few werewolf packs in Seoul, and also the owner of Wonderland. 

“Everyone! Can I have you attention for a minute?” Jackson called after greeting Seokjin with a brief bow and a pat on his arm, making the people talking and drinking stop what they were doing to look up at him. “I’m gonna be a dad! Drink whatever you want, it’s on the house”

The place was filled with the cheers from the excited patrons and Jackson beamed a last time before opening the top floor door and disappearing inside the hallway with a grave-looking Seokjin entering right before him.

Jinsoul glowered and angrily started mixing the liquor bottles that laid closer to her; Hongjoong truly feared for the person she was making that beverage for.

“What the fuck is Jackson thinking? He has six pups already, if he does this every time his wife is expecting another one, we will go bankrupt by the end of the year!”

Jinsoul was probably grumpy because she had to stay in human form, since Hyunjin and Yerim were working with her that night and they couldn’t bring the pool-counter they used when the sirens were on shift, but she was right; Jackson had a tendency of wasting too much every time he was celebrating something (and he liked to celebrate A LOT), and it was a miracle he wasn’t surrounded by debt.

“Don't worry Jinsoul, I think you guys are doing pretty well” Yunho told her earnestly and Jinsoul tried to maintain her serious expression but failed when her cheeks coloured and a giggle fell out of her mouth and so, the awkward flirting started again.

Thankfully, Hongjoong was saved from third-wheeling by San’s arrival. San was glowing like everytime one of his conquests went well, his lips looked suspiciously swollen and his shirt was a little rumpled and askew, but he had no problems in throwing himself over Hongjoong’s shoulders and laughing loudly right by his ear, oblivious to the turmoil he was making his friend experience.

“Hongjoongie, do something with me!”

“What do you want?” he asked, because he was a whipped man like that and there was nothing he could do when San smiled at him with his eyes in little crescents and his dimples popping out. 

“Let’s get out of here, just you and me. I want to do something together”

The choice of words hurt a little and he could feel how the grip San had on his heart tightened a little more, but Hongjoong forced a smile that he hoped looked at least convincing enough and nodded.

“Ok Sani, let’s go”

Hongjoong tried to be strong and protect his heart, but at the end of the day, he couldn't deny San anything. 

-.-.-.-.-.-

If someone asked Hongjoong when he found out he was in love with San, he wouldn’t know what to say, because it happened slowly, but also suddenly and all at once.

The first years of Hongjoong and San among humans were great. They spent them as children, since for them to be able to fit in and survive in the Human Realm, they had to be reborn in the vessels they chose, two stillborns from a village suffering a deathly epidemic. 

Discovering that new world and enjoying everything it had to offer while growing up and getting used to living like humans (with their demonic abilities that remained with them despite being reborn) meant that every single day was full of adventures and stories to remember, and Hongjoong honestly couldn’t get enough of everything from this new and so different life.

Also, Hongjoong didn’t realize how bad he had needed a real friend until San came into his life.

The novelty wore off a few decades later when they were finally adult (but always young, thanks to the demonic blood running through their veins), but seeing humans evolving, developing societies and creating new tools implied that they weren’t bored for long, especially since they started to meet other non-human creatures and made friendships outside of their always-attached duo.

Everything was good, and Hongjoong was living a pretty content and fulfilling existence, until something he didn’t know he was capable of experience happened: he fell in love with San.

Hongjoong should have seen the signs: like the way he was hyperaware of San all the time, how he basically glowed under his friend’s attention or how he always wanted to do everything he could so San was happy and safe, among other things. 

But demons weren’t supposed to feel affection, or love, or anything similar.

That was why he was still happily clueless until Jeolla (where they moved after a short period living with their friend Maddox in Wales), when everything blew up on his face after San saved him from a kusagari that had attacked Hongjoong going back home after a magical council, because he was dumb and reckless and used to say stupid things without thinking that a lot of times (like that one) nearly got him killed.

The image of the normally smiley and chill San looking so protective and ruthless and _dangerous_ made something unfold in Hongjoong’s chest and that was when, concussed and bleeding on a dirty road while his friend fought the huge creature, Hongjoong _knew,_ and things were never the same after that _._

Hongjoong glanced up when the sound of the front door opening interrupted his trip down memory lane and couldn’t help the huge happy smile that spread on his face at the sight of San taking off his shoes.

His housemate’s shoulders were sagged and he smelled like smoke and meat after working in the restaurant all evening, but as soon as San noticed him sitting in the middle of the living-room floor, trying to customize a new jacket with spray paint and vintage studs, his lips pulled in an identical smile and all the signs of tiredness disappeared from his face.

“Hongjoong!” San exclaimed lifting the bag he was carrying. “I brought leftovers, we are eating good tonight!"

If someone asked Hongjoong when he found out he was in love with San, he wouldn’t know what to say, but if there was one thing he was sure about, despite all the pining and the heartbreak he had been experiencing for centuries, was that there wasn’t anyone like San for him and a life without him would be meaningless to Hongjoong.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Although demons had the fame of enjoying going to dance clubs and savage parties, Hongjoong wasn't one for clubbing a lot. San liked it, and he had a big group of friends with whom he used to go out to dance every few weekends, but Hongjoong usually found more entertainment in chiller plans, like messing with people and destroying things without being caught. 

He wasn't opposed of having that kind of fun from time to time, though, especially when things in his day job got boring and uneventful and he started to accumulate pent-up energy with no way of letting it loose without, among other things, making things explode or burn.

That was why Hongjoong had indulged San and let him dress him up (apparently, his normal everyday clothes weren't "artsy" or "original" but made him look like a "nerd and a disgrace for the demon race") and tame his hair into something stylish, before dragging him with his other friends to a dancing club for magical creatures that had become really popular after Mingi the gumiho and some cocky vampire called Hwanwoong were involved in a fight that destroyed half of the VIP area and fueled the magical gossip sites for weeks.

The club itself, according to Hongjoong's point of view, wasn't that worthy of the hype and he preferred to hang out at Wonderland, but since his idea of having fun was more like renovating clothes or financial frauds instead of dirty dancing or decadence, he guessed he wasn't the ideal man to ask.

Still, the atmosphere was charged with so much energy and so many different kinds of magic from all the creatures dancing and drinking and getting involved in other illicit activities under the throbbing lights, that Hongjoong couldn't help the way his body was vibrating in excitement.

That was the reason why he had left the Demon Realm, after all, to feel free and alive and surrounded by other people instead of old boring demons full of themselves.

He talked and danced for a while, greeting acquaintances here and there. Alcoholic beverages did nothing to his kind, but Hongjoong had still ordered a piña colada and was delicately sipping from his glass while observing everyone when he got tired of the dance floor. That was how San found him one hour later, after spending half of it dancing with Wooyoung and the other half managing to provoke two heated arguments and one break-up, all without a pretty hair out of its place.

Hongjoong was staring ahead with a tiny smile on his face, lost in his own head while people-watching, when San walked resolutely towards him and plopped down on his lap.

Letting out a grunt because despite being both small and slender, San was still a little taller and heavier than him, Hongjoong automatically put his arms around his friend's waist and let the glass he was holding fall with a small thud on the floor.

"Hongjoongie, what are you doing? Aren't you bored sitting here alone?"

"Not really" he murmured while San moved around on his lap to get comfortable and finally settled sideways with a satisfied hum. "You made me drop my piña colada"

"Awww I'm sorry, you big baby" San laughed, turning his head a little to face him properly and smirk at him in that insufferable way of his. "Don't worry, I can buy you another one if you want"

He didn't want San to get up, though, so Hongjoong tightened his grasp on his waist when the other started to move and shook his head.

“No! Stay with me for a little bit, please”

As soon as those words left his mouth he felt regret filling his chest; it wasn’t normal for him to act so needy and he had no idea why he had asked San this when this was just how things usually went: Hongjoong sitting somewhere while keeping an eye on what was happening around him or talking to his friends while San mingled with the crowd. He had already said it, though, so he just leaned his head against San’s back and hoped to conceal how worked up he was just by having him so close to him.

“Oh, do you want me to stay?” San whispered with a mix of amusement but also something else, something a little darker, in his voice.

Hongjoong sighed, the noise muffled by the fabric of San’s shirt, and nodded without daring to face his friend.

“Please”

The other didn’t respond and Hongjoong wondered if he had imagined the way his body had tensed up after that one plea. They stayed like that for a few seconds, leaning against each other and lost in their own heads with Hongjoong’s fingers idly tracing nonsensical patterns on the skin of San’s abdomen, until San turned his head and stared down at Hongjoong with his head tilted and a half smile on his lips.

He leaned down, his eyes not leaving Hongjoong’s own eyes with a dark glint in them.Then, San's lips lightly graced Hongjoong’s ear and he shuddered, the hands resting against the other's waist clenching into fists.

"San-ah, what are you doing?"

His friend let out a soft hum that probably wasn’t supposed to mean anything at all and continued caressing his skin with his lips, creating a path towards Hongjoong's jaw and then nipping gently at the skin there. 

It was both playful and intimate at the same time and Hongjoong had no idea what to do.

What was San thinking? He couldn't be drunk or high, and it was the first time, in all the centuries they had known each other, that he acted like that with Hongjoong. It wasn't like he was trying to put on a show for others either, since they were in a pretty secluded booth, but it was such an unusual behaviour Hongjoong had no idea what to think. 

"San, seriously, sto-oh"

The words got caught in Hongjoong's throat when San bit a little harder and he nearly whimpered with a mix of pain and arousal, but he didn’t have time to let out a single word before San’s mouth abandoned his jaw and the next second his friend was roughly kissing his lips.

Hongjoong unclenched his fists to grab San’s waist and squeeze it with his fingers tight like claws, making San let out a needy noise from the bottom of his throat. 

He had always wondered what San tasted like and had lost count of how many times he had imagined being in this exact situation, with his beautiful and charming flatmate on his lap kissing the hell out of him like he wanted to devour him whole. Now that the answer was literally sitting on him, Hongjoong had no idea what to do with his hands or his mouth, and he happily let San do whatever he wanted with him for as long as he wanted without caring about the outside world or anything that wasn't warm lips, or silky hair, or the tiny waist he was holding tightly. 

His mind was clouded with the pressure of San’s mouth on his, the weight of his body on his lap and the way San had started to grind down on him, and for a moment he just allowed himself to drown in the sensations and the lust, but the thought of San doing this to all of his flings passed his head and that made him stop kissing the other and open his eyes wide.

Hongjoong had never been the object of San's affections or one of his targets, but it seemed there was always a first time for everything. 

As soon as that thought, icy and cruel like a bucket of cold water, made itself home in his mind, Hongjoong pushed San off him and got up, his breath shaky and ragged and his hands trembling.

"I told you to stop!"

San had ended slumped against the seat, looking at him with his eyes open wide and his lips red and shiny and Hongjoong had to take a deep breath to control himself. He wanted nothing more than continue what they were doing and kiss his friend until he couldn't think anymore, but he couldn't handle the thought of the other just playing with him like he did with everyone else.

“Hongjoong-“

"I'm not one of your toys, San!"

His scream had attracted attention from a lot of people, and Hongjoong tried to ignore all the eyes set on him and continued staring down at San, anger poisoning his veins while the other squirmed under his glare.

“I-I thou-”

“Why did you have to do that!? Am I a joke to you!? I thought you were my friend! I thought you respected me!"

The shame, disappointment and pain were clouding his thoughts and emotions, creating such a mess in his head that Hongjoong didn’t even wait for San to answer him before he whispered a cold “ _Don’t touch me again”_ and ran away as fast as his legs allowed him.

He didn’t remember what he did after that, but he woke up the next morning in one of the small cells of Gangnam Police Station and, when he was able to convince an agent to let him leave and finally went home, San was nowhere to be found.

-.-.-.-.-.-

“Psst, Hongjoong”

Hongjoong had no idea why he was in Wonderland again, trying to convince himself he wasn’t looking for San, whom he had not talked to in days after what happened that night.

San and he had only briefly seen each other once during the last days, and it was only because Hongjoong had arrived home earlier from work and stumbled upon the other leaving the apartment with Wooyoung on tow. Hongjoong was going to say something, but his stupid pride stopped him from opening his mouth and he could only stand there and watch San hurriedly walking away without sparing a single glance towards him while Wooyoung glared at him with his pretty eyes full of hate.

The last four days had been the worst in Hongjoong's life since he had come to live in the Human Realm and, despite being angry with San for what he pulled that night, he couldn't help but also be angry with himself for reacting so aggressively instead of talking things out. They weren’t teenagers and had centuries of experience on their backs; it was ridiculous that they had let the situation escalate like that instead of just simply communicating with each other.

He also missed his friend terribly, that was why he decided he had to be the bigger person and started to look for him.

Wonderland wasn’t that big and at first glance it was obvious San wasn’t there, so Hongjoong had spent the last minutes wandering around the place with his shoulders hunched and a pout on his lips, hoping to find any of their mutual acquaintances and see if any of them knew anything, until the unexpected call of his name made him look up and glance towards the bar counter.

Yeosang was working alone that night (what meant that they had brought out the pool counter so he could work comfortably in his siren form). Hongjoong had never heard him talk, but he supposed the siren was the one who called him, because he was leaning forward with his elbows on the counter and his grey eyes fixed on him, the dark green scales covering his skin glowing under the faint lights and his tail swaying side to side behind him.

“Me?” Hongjoong asked while pointing to himself and Yeosang rolled his eyes but nodded, beckoning him with his hand.

Hongjoong appraised him carefully, wondering what the other wanted. It was the first time Yeosang had talked to him in the months since he had started working in Wonderland, and something about it made the hairs at the back of his neck stand in tension. It was probably due to the effect of being the object of a siren's attention, the creatures always protagonists of horror stories and legends that made them seem like sadistic killing machines. It was also the same that had happened when they had first met Jinsoul, before they got used to her allure and her voice. That was why, ignoring the way his instincts screamed at him to stay away, he walked in Yeosang' direction. Hongjoong was curious about what the other wanted to say and, most of all, he was dying to properly hear Yeosang speak after hearing so many stories about the siren and how enchanting his voice was.

“Yo, Yeosang, what’s up?” he greeted nonchalantly, leaning his elbow on the counter and putting on his trademark carefree smile.

“Where is San?”

Yeosang’s voice was like a song, husky and deep like the stormy sea, a stark contrast with his doll-like features and delicate frame. Hongjoong felt a shiver going down his back and his pupils dilated after hearing the siren's question. He had never been so affected by a siren before and it now made sense why Yeosang preferred to keep his words to himself; a siren song so powerful that it could even affect people when he was only talking could only bring trouble and unnecessary attention to him and, from what little information he had learned about him, Yeosang seemed a shy guy who enjoyed his alone time. 

Hongjoong blinked twice and then frowned when he realized Yeosang had asked him something and he hadn’t paid attention.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“Where is San, Hongjoong?” the other repeated slowly.

“Do I look like his keeper?” Hongjoong snapped without thinking and he regretted his words just a second later, when Yeosang recoiled slightly and his stare hardened; it wasn’t the siren’s fault that San and he had fought and he shouldn’t lash out like that at people who had nothing to do with them.

“Listen” Yeosang grabbed the front of his bomber jacket to pull him until their faces were millimeters apart, and Hongjoong was remined that sirens were creatures to be feared when Yeosang flashed his sharp teeth at him. “I don’t know about your issues and to be honest I don’t care either, but I think your friend may be in danger”

“What!?”

“Seokjin was here the other day and told the boss there was a new pair of demon hunters in town and to keep an eye on anything that could be suspicious. They were here today, asking around and being overall pretty obvious about the nature of their questions. No one told them anything, but they were loudly gloating about already having a target, and with the snippets of information some of us could collect from what they were saying, it sounded like they were talking about San”

Hongjoong felt the blood freezing in his veins. He wet his lips and slowly grabbed Yeosang’s hands to loosen his hold on his jacket, trying to keep himself calm.

“Are you sure?” he asked, staring hard at Yeosang and fighting the panic starting to spread inside his chest. 

They were always careful, but he knew San easily caught people's attention, included unwanted one, and he was hard to miss if you knew what you were looking for. And most times, hunters knew what they were looking for. 

“Listen, there was no mistake about who they could have been talking about; the description matched San perfectly. They left half an hour ago”

Yeosang hadn’t finished talking before Hongjoong sprinted out of the club towards the street.

The distance from the club to the apartment had never felt so long. Hongjoong had grabbed (or borrowed, like he liked to say to himself) a motorbike he found parked outside and drove as fast as physically possible, not even bothering to wear a helmet and breaking more than one traffic law on his way there.

San was in danger and he had no time to lose.

It wasn’t until Hongjoong was two streets away from his building that he realized he could teleport and he groaned at his own stupidity before releasing a little of his demonic energy and disappearing with a black puff of smoke to reappear in the hallway of his floor, motorbike included. Hongjoong wasn’t used to using his powers so sudden or carrying something else with him, so he doubled over the seat, breathing in and out to fight the bile trying to rise up his throat, and it was only a few seconds later when he noticed the ahjumma gaping at him from her apartment door.

“Huh” Hongjoong sputtered, looking around to check if someone else had seen and feeling beads of sweat falling down his forehead. “I was in a hurry!”

The woman nodded, still looking like she had seen a ghost, and slowly grabbed the trash bags she had dropped before slamming her door closed. The loud noise made Hongjoong grimace, but he knew he didn’t have time to take care of that situation; he had more urgent matters to attend right now. Letting out a last sigh and ruffling his bangs in frustration, he abandoned the motorbike in the middle of the hallway and rushed in the direction of his home.

The door was closed and nothing could be heard from the inside.

Demon hunters usually tried to be discreet and had tools that helped soundproff their hunting scenes to avoid alerting civilians, so it wasn't strange that it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Still, Hongjoong knew better, so he slammed open the door without thinking twice and entered the place with firm steps and all his senses tuned and ready for an ambush or an attack. 

What he encountered inside made some of that control slip, though, and Hongjoong was sure the growl that came out of his mouth was anything but human. 

Two men, big and bulky and wearing the usual all-black leather attire that was fancied among old school demon hunters, were standing in the middle of his destroyed living-room with San trapped between them. His friend was trying to kick them away from him, but they had bound his hands with chains and his attempts were weak and did nothing to deter the pair. Hongjoong was then sure that the chains were doused in holy water that blocked their demonic energy and their strength and accelerated healing. Like that, San was as harmful as a kitten compared to those two giants.

Hongjoong’s growl made the others interrupt the fight and they looked in his direction. San’s expression became even more frantic and he tried to release himself with renewed energy but little success, and the other two smirked as soon as they seemed to realize who he was.

“I told you there were two of them”

With those words, the hunter who looked older and most likely the one in charge, grabbed San by the back of his neck and made him kneel in front of them.

"Don't even try anything, little boy" 

Hongjoong snarled at the way that human had addressed him and took a step in their direction, but the man grabbed his silver dagger and put it against San's neck. Hongjoong could do nothing but stop and clench his fists hard, so hard he was sure his nails were leaving bloody marks on his skin. 

He observed San's beaten up and bloody face, his swollen eye and the deep cut on his lower lip, and felt his eyes becoming black in rage, but San narrowed his own eyes and kept eye contact with him, so composed compared to his previous attitude that Hongjoong took a deep breath to calm down and stared again at the older hunter with his teeth bared.

“Good boy, now kneel”

There was nothing Hongjoong wanted less than obey that man, but a last glance in San’s direction made him surrender and he started to kneel down while slowly bringing his hands to his head.

The hunter’s smirk broadened and he roughly pushed San, who whimpered weakly, against the other man while he started walking towards Hongjoong, holding more chains in his hands.

Hongjoong looked at him from under his bangs and suppressed a shiver of disgust when the man grabbed one of his wrists with the intention of wrapping the chain around it.

That was the moment he was waiting for.

So fast that the hunter couldn’t even blink, Hongjoong slapped his hand and changed their positions, grabbing the other’s wrist instead. 

He finally allowed his eyes to turn fully black and smirked at the man, who only had time to grimace in pain first and then open his eyes wide with terror when the heat passed from Hongjoong’s hands into his skin and his body burned from the inside out, turning into ashes a second later.

The other man didn’t stand a chance. 

Hongjoong leaped and managed to grab the horrified human before he could fully realize what was happening and hurt San, and in no time he had suffered the same fate as his partner and there was no sign of his body apart from the ashes covering the floor and San’s hair and face.

Hongjoong let his demonic energy ease until his eyes went back to normal and the anger disappeared; only then, he allowed himself to get closer to his friend and sank to his knees in front of San.

"San! Sanie!" he grabbed his face and stared at him with worry. "Are you ok?"

San nodded slowly and that made Hongjoong laugh in relief, an ugly hysterical sound that sounded weird even to his own ears. 

He had been so close to lose San, and it was finally downing on him the danger those hunters' presence in their home truly meant. Still, he didn't have time to ponder too much because San was trying to move by his side and letting out pained groans. Hongjoong realized he was still tied up and the chains were hurting him, so he proceed to untie San's wrists, ignoring the burn the contact with the chains left on his own hands.

When he was released, San brought his hands to his chest and rubbed his burnt and bloody wrists with still a dazed expression in his eyes, but finally after a few seconds he was able to focus his gaze on Hongjoong.

"Hongjoong..."

The tone of San's voice, small and quivery and unlike anything Hongjoong had heard before in all the years he had known him, made something snap inside of him and he grabbed San’s shoulders to press their lips together. 

He had wanted to do that for centuries, literally, and, despite not being the best moment since they had just escaped death and San was still shaken up and cradling his injured hands to his chest, nearly losing him made Hongjoong’s carefully built walls come tumbling down to allow all his feelings to pour in front of his friend.

San’s lips were a little cold and tasted like ashes and blood, and Hongjoong could feel how hard he was trembling from his grip on his arms. Their mouths stayed together for not longer than a few seconds before Hongjoong realized what he had just done, and he pulled away with a gasp to look at San, an apology ready on his lips. He couldn’t believe he had just saved his friend, after days of both of them ignoring each other because he had fucked up, just to ruin things again so fast.

“San, I’m sor-“

He couldn’t finish the sentence before San’s mouth was on his again and the other was kissing him with all his might, grabbing the hairs at the back of his head tightly. Hongjoong felt like he was drowning in the Demon Realm’s lava with how hot he felt all over, his insides burning and churning, but he reciprocated the kiss as well as he could; it could be the last time he would be able to kiss San and he sure as hell was going to enjoy the chance. 

“I thought you didn’t want me” San whispered against his lips some moments later, his voice rough and a little breathless.

Hongjoong sighed. He guessed that after what just happened, there was no use in beating around the bush; he had been able to hide his feelings for a long time, but he always knew one day the truth would need to be revealed. 

"I have wanted you since Jeolla" he finally declared, not daring to look at San’s face and see what his expression was like.

"W-what?" San spluttered. "But that was over three hundred years ago!"

Hongjoong glanced at him and nodded curtly as his only response, making San gape at him. If it were a different situation, Hongjoong would have laughed at San’s expression; it was cute how he acted like those were a lot of years when for them, after being alive for so long, a century was like one small drop in the whole ocean.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Those words made Hongjoong let out snort and San frowned.

“What was I supposed to say? “ _Hey San, I know we are demons and supposedly incapable of feeling love, but I’m kinda in love with you_ ”?” the idea was hilarious at best and Hongjoong couldn't help but to start laughing, although he cut it off abruptly after hearing what San said next. 

“I would have just said “ _me too_ ”” San answered softly.

What? 

“What?” That had to be a joke, really. It couldn’t be true.

“Why do you think I followed you out of the Demon Realm?” San asked, looking at him with a mix of worry because Hongjoong probably looked like he was going to be sick but also a little mocking, like he was an idiot and yeah, he probably was, because he had no idea what was going on and San’s words made no sense to him. 

That had happened nearly a millennia ago, it was impossible that San had liked him for so long.

It was impossible that San felt the same way.

“You barely knew me” he finally whispered and San chuckled before gently grabbing Hongjoong’s hand. The touch made some of the dizziness he was feeling disappear and helped center him, but Hongjoong still stared at the other with a lost expression in his eyes.

“I felt drawn to you” San said simply. “I don’t know, I saw you and you were talking to the others about leaving and everyone was laughing and making fun of you, but you were so bright and so different and I- I just knew, I had to follow you. Fuck, I think I would have followed you to the end of the world if you asked me”

"Wha-that doesn't make any sense" 

"Sometimes things happen that don't make sense, Hongjoong, but it doesn't mean they aren't real" it was such a simple statement said in a soft firm tone, but it still made Hongjoong's heart skip a beat and his hands started trembling. 

“But why didn’t you say anything?” Hongjoong repeated the same question San had asked earlier. “Why did you never tell me? You were always with other people but never tried to get intimate with me”

“Because of the same reason you didn’t tell me when you found out your own feelings, probably. We weren’t supposed to feel that way for each other and it’s easy to be the demon everyone expects you to be and fuck with people for fun. But these past months I got tired, I wanted to finally be closer to you in other ways, that’s why I tried to get your attention”

Hongjoong gasped when it finally downed on him.

“That was why you started sleeping in my bed and acting different with me”

San looked down shyly but nodded, idly playing with Hongjoong’s fingers. This was a different San from the sometimes cocky but always sure of himself and his assets demon and Hongjoong felt a wave of protectiveness and affection for him filling his chest.

“I didn’t do a very good job, did I? I’m sorry for being so clumsy and not doing things right, I had no idea how to properly woo you because I have never actually loved anyone before, but I had to try”

"But why try now? What changed?"

San took a long breath after those words and glanced up to look straight into Hongjoong’s eyes.

“Nothing changed, but after so many centuries of staring from the distance, of wanting someone but not being able to have them, you get tired of waiting”

“San” Hongjoong said breathlessly from how hard his heart was beating, his hands grabbing San’s face and licking his lips when he saw the way the other’s shiny eyes were looking at him, scared and vulnerable but also expectant. “I think I’m going to kiss you again”

“Please”

This time, Hongjoong took his time and didn’t rush to shorten the distance until his lips found San’s, but both breathed out a sigh practically in unison when their lips met, and soon their bodies were nearly glued to each other with how close they were pressed together.

Hongjoong could feel every reaction from San, from the way his warm body shook against his to the little noises coming out of his mouth. It was overwhelming, the first time he had ever done anything like this with someone, but so intoxicating he felt like he could spend the rest of the eternity like this, drunk from the taste of San’s lips and the solidity of his body, too real and too good to be true. 

He separated from San and gently yet firmly grabbed his arms and pushed the other to make him lie down on the spilled ashes and burn marks on the floor, making San gasp and arch his back, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths and his eyes fixed on Hongjoong’s face.

San was looking up at him and Hongjoong breath caught in his throat; his lips were shiny and swollen and his eyes had turned totally black, the demonic energy spreading from him in waves, filling the small room, and his whole body trembling with all that pent up energy. It was the most beautiful thing he had settled his eyes on and the sight made him get choked up with a mix of emotions. 

Hongjoong wondered if he could die from feeling like this; certainly, all this want and love pulsing inside him were too big for his small human body.

But it wasn't the time for thinking; he had San, beautiful, brave and enchanting San, under him requiring his whole attention and appreciation, so Hongjoong decided to let those thoughts for another moment and finally, finally, he bent down and let himself fall into San’s arms.

“I think we have to move out”

They were lying on the living-room floor on a heap of limbs and thrown away clothes, sated and content, when Hongjoong spoke up.

“Why!?” San exclaimed and then pouted at him, with dimples and everything. 

His face was too much for his poor heart to handle; Hongjoong was totally going to die before they had time to decide if they were on the same page and settle where their relationship would go from now on.

“If those hunters found us, it means more of them can come now” he explained as patiently as he could while also wanting to curl into a ball and scream because of the way the moonlight coming from outside illuminated San's features. 

He was trying to say something important, but it was impossible to concentrate when the other man looked like _that._

Thankfully, not a lot of words were needed to make San understand what he meant. San stared at him for a long time and then leaned against him again with a sigh and crossed his arms.

“Damn it, I liked this apartment”

“Me too, but it’s not safe anymore”

“But, where are we going to go now?” San asked and Hongjoong pursed his lips in thought for a few minutes before his brain lit up with an idea.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Seonghwa had finished showering and was drying his hair with a towel, happily whistling the latest Twice hit, when a knock on his front door made him stop and stare in that direction with a wary expression on his face.

He wasn’t waiting for any of his friends that night. In fact, after the molten kitchenware fiasco, he was sure he had managed to scare Jongho enough to not visit him for at least two weeks, so he wondered who was at his door at one in the morning, knocking like the world was ending.

When he finally opened the door, Seonghwa expected a hundred things, but none of them were Hongjoong and San standing in the hallway, carrying two small bags and smiling innocently at him. Seonghwa wanted to ask what they were doing there, but the idea left his head when he noticed the ashes splattered on San’s hair, the burn marks on his wrists and the protective arm Hongjoong had around his waist, and his mouth fell open in shock.

San’s expression darkened when he properly looked at him while he was examining them and that was when Seonghwa realized he had forgotten to put on a shirt and felt his face growing hot and red before he covered his chest with his arms.

“Uh, good evening”

“Hey, handsome” San said in a sultry voice and a smirk that turned into a grimace when Hongjoong, still with the smile frozen on his pretty face but his cheeks and ears sporting a bright rosy blush, elbowed him on the side.

“Yo, Seonghwa, can we stay with you for a few days?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Please tell me your opinion!


End file.
